Aboard a Gourd: One Man’s Record-Breaking Journey

Discover Todd Sandstrum and his need for pumpkin-paddling glory.

Just in time for Thanksgiving…

In a world filled with the sweet smell of pumpkin pie and the inimitable pumpkin spice latte stands one man and his giant pumpkin carriage—I mean, boat. On September 5, 2015, Todd Sandstrum broke the record for the longest distance traveled in water by pumpkin.

He hollowed out the 817-pound gourd, lowered it into Massachusetts’s Taunton River by crane, and propelled the pumpkin 3.5 miles, surpassing the previous 3-mile record.

The Saga Continues…

But wait, there’s more! On September 3, 2016, Todd Sandstrum once again took to a giant gourd—this time one over 1,200 pounds—and paddled for 8 miles straight down the same Taunton River, thereby breaking his own 2015 record.

Another year, another all-new annual!

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